Who Will Sing Your Praises?

If you are a candidate for a new job, whether you are a newcomer or a veteran therapist, you should spend ample time getting your references lined up. References can serve as an important buffer between you and a prospective employer and help stave off any unpleasant situations arising in a workplace by adding a second level to the screening process.

Although some safeguards like certification and licensure have already been introduced into health care work environments, reference checks still remain a major standard used by those charged with hiring an applicant. How others support your candidacy during a routine reference check can help potential employers determine whether they should hire you or remove you from further consideration. Those you have listed as references can provide a potential employer with answers that will reinforce your attributes, clearing up any doubts that may exist. Obviously prospective employers will not even bother to check the references of applicants they have already rejected, so there is generally no need to include a list of references with your resume and letter of application. But when the hiring negotiations approach the end zone, your references should be able to provide a clear picture of your work ethics, character and other traits. Their support should build a strong case toward qualifying you to a prospective employee. Opinions Do Matter Their opinions should verify to the hiring employer important aspects of your past work performance and personality. For that reason, current or past employers are your best references because they can provide a credible resource regarding your skills and abilities, often in the same language as the employer who is considering you for a position What an employer can and cannot say about you makes for an interesting topic all by itself. A current boss can say just about anything he wants about you, but most have learned that saying something negative carries future ramifications. A normal rule for a manager or supervisor is to keep discussions to a minimum, regardless of employee performance. Your references should know the qualities you contribute to the work environment and how you are a unique professional suited to excel in a related type of job elsewhere. Early in your job search, you need to secure three primary references. By the time you are deep into a job search, you should have five to seven references readily available. This large number makes it easy for an interested employer to reach at least one or two of your references in a short period of time. Your references should know you well and be trustworthy. They should have seen you in action at work and be willing to take a call from a prospective employer. Many people might suit this purpose. It is especially important to notify your current employer, previous employers and other primary references they are about to be contacted by a prospective employer. The heads-up will help them sing your praises more readily. Letters of Recommendation Some primary references may be willing to provide you with a written letter of reference, which can be quite instrumental in the job selection process. Written letters of reference, however, become outdated because people continually change jobs, careers and addresses. An individual who has not changed jobs for some time can face a genuine reference gathering dilemma. In this case, candidates must find references who have followed their work history and performance throughout their careers at a long-standing work place site. In the case of long-term employment, it is important to spell out to a potential employer that you have continued to progress over the passage of time. New responsibilities and titles should be reflected on your resume and be mentioned by your references. It is important for the hiring employer to understand you are an individual who has always adapted and has striven toward continued growth and optimal results and you are not some dinosaur left over from a previous age. Do not list references on your resume. This is especially true in the current job market where resumes are submitted via e-mail or posted on Web sites. Broadcasting your references' contact information can result in their getting unwanted calls or e-mails. Releasing Reference Names Most employers do not want to see your references until the interview. Then, they will assume a list of references will be available if they are interested in hiring you. As such there is no need to write the traditional "References Available on Request" on the bottom of your resume. Personal references-friends, clerics and members of civic organizations or clubs-are rarely contacted unless they form some type of vital link for job duties and responsibilities. Nonetheless, this category of references is still important, especially for people who have not been in the workforce for a while. Recently, I undertook the task of lining up a list of references for myself since I have been considering an advancement in my own career. My choices for references included my immediate supervisor, a peer, an individual whom I have been mentoring and a supervisor from a nursing division. I discovered in the process that this task of getting references on board required both tact and candor. My immediate supervisor expressed hesitancy because of company policy; the peer consented to provide a reference; the mentor rejected the request because he did now know me well enough and was not comfortable with providing a reference; and the nurse was comfortable with my request because she has observed the quality of my work. This personal experience reinforced my belief that human behavior is predictable. Logic, reasonable consideration and following a few simple guidelines will most likely yield positive results when you are trying to line up your references. Communicating your career objectives and goals to these individuals will serve to optimize your results too, since they are the people who can provide positive information about you. As long as they understand you are trying to better yourself in your career, they will likely support your aspirations. And always protect your references by holding their contact information in confidence. David Towers is a Minnesota practitioner. General Rules to Follow 1. Prepare a list of references only after you have secured permission to use the individual as a reference. Your list should include names and contact information like telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. 2. Contact your references about your potential job prior to their receiving a request for information. 3. Continually communicate your intentions to your references in terms of jobs you are seeking and what you could contribute to that particular job. Remember, by building an approach customized to your own skills, values and story, you can build a pathway to success. <% footer %>